Heart and Stroke Encyclopedia

Knowledge starts here.

Salt is a crystalline compound that contains sodium, but the two are not synonymous. Many people eat too much salt, putting them at greater risk for cardiovascular diseases as they get older. Eating less salt can help lower your blood pressure or prevent it from developing in the first place.

Saturated fats are found in meat and dairy products, and they can raise cholesterol levels in the blood. They should be limited to less than 5-6 percent of your total daily calories, or about 140 calories on a 2,000-calorie diet. While certain plant foods, such as palm or coconut oils, also contain saturated fats, they do not contain cholesterol.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is a rare but potentially fatal disease that usually affects young women with no risk factors for heart disease. The coronary arteries that arise from the aorta and supply blood to the heart consist of three layers. Dissection occurs when two of these layers separate, enabling blood to flow into the space between the layers. As blood accumulates, it can obstruct the heart’s normal blood flow, leading to chest pain, heart attack and even sudden death.

Survivors of heart attacks and other heart patients can typically have sex without worrying about further damaging their hearts, providing their healthcare providers have cleared them for routine physical activity. Patients should ask their healthcare providers whether they are healthy enough for sex.

A shunt can be an abnormal flow pattern of blood through the chambers of the heart or the large arteries leaving the heart. The term is also used for surgically created passages used in bypass grafting surgery, to drain fluids from the body or to increase the delivery of blood to the lungs.

Sickle cell anemia is a genetic blood disorder in which the body produces sickle- or crescent-shaped red blood cells. This abnormal shape makes it difficult for blood to flow through blood vessels and impairs the cells' ability to efficiently carry oxygen to the body's tissues and organs. Affected cells often stick to blood vessel walls, increasing the risk for blocked arteries to the brain that can cause stroke. Blockages in the coronary arteries of the heart can lead to heart attack. This disorder mainly affects African-Americans.

A side effect is a reaction that results from a medication or therapy. For example, heart failure medications can cause side effects such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, kidney complications and low blood pressure.

Signs of a heart attack include discomfort in the chest (pressure, squeezing, fullness), discomfort in other upper-body areas (arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach), shortness of breath, a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and back or jaw pain. Call 9-1-1 if you think you or someone else is having a heart attack.

A SPECT scan of the heart is a noninvasive nuclear imaging test. It uses radioactive tracers that are injected into the blood to produce pictures of your heart. Doctors use SPECT to diagnose coronary artery disease and find out if a heart attack has occurred. SPECT can show how well blood is flowing to the heart and how well the heart is working.

The sinoatrial, also called the sinus node, is the heart's natural pacemaker. Located in the right atrium, it initiates the heart's electrical activity stimulating muscle contraction so the heart can pump blood to the body.

The sinus node, also called the sinoatrial, is the heart's natural pacemaker, Located in the right atrium, it initiates the heart's electrical activity stimulating muscle contraction so the heart can pump blood to the body.

Cigarette smoking is the No. 1 preventable cause of death in the United States and greatly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Smokers are likely to have increased blood pressure and decreased ability to exercise, and are more likely to have blood clots.

Sodium is a mineral that helps regulates the body’s water balance, maintains normal heart rhythm and is responsible for nerve impulse conduction and muscle contraction. Getting too much sodium from food and beverages contributes to high blood pressure in some people because it holds excess fluid in the body, creating an added burden on the heart. Excess sodium can also increase your risk for stroke and heart failure.The American Heart Association recommends choosing and preparing foods with little or no salt.

A SPECT scan of the heart is a noninvasive nuclear imaging test. It uses radioactive tracers that are injected into the blood to produce pictures of your heart. Doctors use SPECT to diagnose coronary artery disease and find out if a heart attack has occurred. SPECT can show how well blood is flowing to the heart and how well the heart is working.

Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection, SCAD, is a rare but potentially fatal disease that usually affects young women with no risk factors for heart disease. The coronary arteries that arise from the aorta and supply blood to the heart consist of three layers. Dissection occurs when two of these layers separate, enabling blood to flow into the space between the layers. As blood accumulates, it can obstruct the heart’s normal blood flow, leading to chest pain, heart attack and even sudden death.

The stages of heart failure is a rating system to evaluate the development and progression of heart failure symptoms. Developed by the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology in 2001, the system includes four stages.

Stages A and B represent people who have not yet developed heart failure but are at high risk because of coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or other predisposing conditions.

Stage C includes patients with past or current symptoms of heart failure who have a condition called structural heart disease.

Stage D includes patients who have advanced heart failure that is difficult to manage with standard treatment.

Statins are lipid-lowering drugs used to reduce elevated cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Statins work in the liver to prevent cholesterol from forming. They are also known as HMG CoA reductase inhibitors.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction, also known as STEMI, which is a more precise definition for a type of heart attack. It's caused by a prolonged period of blocked blood supply that affects a large area of the heart. STEMI has a substantial risk of death and disability and calls for a quick response.

STEMI is a common name for ST-elevation myocardial infarction, which is a more precise definition for a type of heart attack. It's caused by a prolonged period of blocked blood supply that affects a large area of the heart. STEMI has a substantial risk of death and disability and calls for a quick response.

A stent is a wire mesh tube that's inserted into a narrowed coronary artery to prop it open, prevent re-blockage and allow the heart muscle to get the blood flow and oxygen it needs. A stent can also be placed in narrowed carotid arteries (the vessels in the front of the neck that supply blood to the brain) to treat patients at high risk for stroke.

A strep infection, or streptococcal infection, is caused by streptococcus bacteria, and usually occurs in the throat. In rare cases, it can cause damage to otherwise normal heart valves in children, resulting in heart failure.

A streptococcal infection, often shortened to "strep" is caused by streptococcus bacteria, and usually occurs in the throat. In rare cases, it can cause damage to otherwise normal heart valves in children, resulting in heart failure.

Stress is bodily or mental tension in response to physical, chemical or emotional factors. The link between stress and heart disease is not clear. However, chronic stress that causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure may damage the artery walls.

A stroke is an interruption of blood flow to the brain causing paralysis, slurred speech and/or altered brain function. About nine of every 10 strokes are caused by a blockage in a blood vessel that carries blood to the brain; this is known as an ischemic stroke. The other type of stroke is known as hemorrhagic, caused by a blood vessel bursting. Warning signs include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg (especially on one side); sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; sudden, severe headache with no known cause. Call 9-1-1 if you think you or someone else is having a stroke.

The National Institute of Health stroke scale is a standardized method used by healthcare professionals to measure the level of impairment caused by a stroke. The Stroke Scale assesses motor, sensory and visual impairments, on a scale of 0-42 through a physical exam and a series of questions. By using this scale, health professionals can get an idea of what part of the brain has been affected and where a clot might be located in the brain.

Structural heart disease most often refers to cardiac defects present at birth, but may also include abnormalitiesof the valves and vessels of the heart wall that develop due to aging, injury or infection.

Subaortic stenosis is a congenital heart defect in which the left ventricle is narrowed just below the aortic valve, limiting the flow of blood. The defect can also be due to a form of cardiomyopathy. Treatment depends on the cause and severity of the narrowing and includes drugs and surgery. People with subaortic stenosis are at risk for endocarditis, an infection within the aorta or the heart valves before and after treatment and are often advised to take antibiotics before certain dental and surgical procedures to prevent it.

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart's electrical system malfunctions, and the heart suddenly stops beating ? often without warning. While the terms "sudden cardiac arrest" and "heart attack" are often used as if they are synonyms, they aren't. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur after a heart attack, or during recovery. Heart attacks increase the risk for sudden cardiac arrest, but most heart attacks do not lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Immediate CPR can double or triple the chances of survival from sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac death can occur when someone in sudden cardiac arrest is not treated promptly. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart's electrical system malfunctions and the heart suddenly stops beating ? often without warning. While the terms "sudden cardiac arrest" and "heart attack" are often used as if they are synonyms, they aren't. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur after a heart attack, or during recovery. Heart attacks increase the risk for sudden cardiac arrest, but most heart attacks do not lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Immediate CPR can double or triple the chances of survival from sudden cardiac arrest.

The American Heart Association recommends no more than half of your daily discretionary calorie allowance come from added sugars. (Your daily discretionary calorie allowance consists of calories available after meeting nutrient needs.) This is no more than 100 calories per day for most American women and no more than 150 per day for men (or about 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 teaspoons a day for men).

A supraventricular tachycardia is a condition in which heart tissue in either the upper chambers or the region above the ventricles develops pacemaker activity, resulting in an abnormally fast heartbeat.

Systolic blood pressure refers to the highest blood pressure measured in the arteries and occurs during the pumping phase of the heartbeat. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and is the upper number in the standard blood pressure reading. For example, in a blood pressure reading of 120/80, 120 refers to the systolic blood pressure.

Systolic heart failure is a condition in which the heart pumps with decreased strength and the pumping chambers become thin, large and floppy. Because blood cannot be pumped out efficiently, it backs up into organs, causing swelling in the body and congestion in the lungs. As the disease progresses, the heart is unable to pump enough blood for the body to meet its needs. This type of heart failure is caused by conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, valvular heart disease and idiopathic cardiomyopathy.